Sarkozy, Bruni seek to block secret tapes

Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni on Thursday launched a legal bid to prevent any further publication of tapes secretly recorded during his 2007-12 term as French president. In a move that will inevitably fuel speculation the tapes could contain a seriously compromising "smoking gun", lawyers for Sarkozy said they would be filing a request with a Paris court for an emergency injunction against further distribution or publication. The tapes are thought to contain hundreds of hours of Sarkozy's private conversations with Bruni and close aides. They were recorded by a political advisor, Patrick Buisson, without the couple's knowledge. Some extracts -- without any really explosive content -- have already been published, by satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine and news website Atlantico, according to AFP.